News Releases

Billerica, Mass. Company Fined for Pesticide Violations

(Boston, Mass. – Jan. 13, 2011) – A Billerica, Mass. company has agreed to pay $526,500 in civil penalties to settle allegations by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that it distributed and sold an unregistered pesticide and imported pesticides and pesticide devices without submitting the required forms to the EPA, in violation of federal environmental law. This is one of the largest settlements in an EPA pesticide law case in New England.

In the complaint filed Sept. 30, EPA’s New England office alleged that Millipore Corporation imported pesticides (chlorine tablets) for distribution or sale on numerous occasions without submitting the “Notice of Arrival” forms required by the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). The complaint also alleged that Millipore imported pesticide devices used for water purification on numerous occasions without submitting the required forms.

EPA alleged that the violations occurred from Sept. 2005 to Oct. 2008. Under the settlement announced by EPA, Millipore must pay the penalty, but will not admit to any liability for the violations.

Since first becoming aware of EPA’s concerns, Millipore has stopped importing the unregistered chlorine tablets and, according to the information available to EPA, has since imported the pesticide devices in compliance with applicable FIFRA regulations.

Under FIFRA, all pesticides used and sold in the U.S. are required to undergo a rigorous, science-based review process to ensure that they can be used safely and do not pose an unreasonable risk to human health or the environment. Importers of pesticide products must provide data to EPA regarding pesticides or devices that may be entering the U.S. prior to their import.

The Notice of Arrival forms provide important information to EPA regarding pesticides and pesticide devices entering the country including, for example, the major active ingredients, quantities, countries of origin, identity of producing establishments, carriers, ports of entry, and contact information.